Experimenting in the kitchen during your lockdown downtime? Why not bring duck into your culinary arsenal with these 5 recipes to get you started?

Image: George Foreman 

Whether it’s the effect of the lockdown pushing us to get more creative in the kitchen now we have the time, or it’s just because there’s a new series of Masterchef on TV, did you know that Google searches for ‘how to cook duck’ have increased by 9900% in the past 30 days?

If you’re looking to try cooking with duck at home, we’ve picked 5 recipes that each use duck in a different way to get your started on your next culinary journey.

5 spice duck

For a simple way to cook duck perfectly, use a heated grill such as a George Foreman. Team this recipe up with the side of your choice.

• Prep: 5 minutes + 2 hours marinating
• Cooking: 8 minutes
• Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 200g duck breasts
• 4 tsp. 5 spice
• 30g dark brown sugar
• 6 garlic cloves
• 60ml dark soy sauce

Method

1. Take the duck out of the fridge at least 30-40 minutes before cooking this allows
   the meat to cook better, this can be done with most red meats.
2. Remove any excess fat from the meat and trim any excess skin off the top of the breast leaving just enough to cover the breast.
3. With a knife carefully score the skin (this is much easier if the duck is chilled)
4. Finely chop the garlic and put in a bowl, add the 5 spices, sugar and soy sauce and mix, addthe duck breasts and cover with cling film, leave to marinate for at least 2 hours.
5. Heat the grill to maximum and cook the duck for 7-8 minutes depending on the size.

Hoisin duck, mango and wild rice bowls

Image: Waitrose 

This fresh and delicious recipe from Waitrose is a light, Asian-inspired idea for using duck meat.

• Prep: 10 minutes (plus resting)
• Cooking: 25 minutes
• Serves 2

Ingredients

• 120g white basmati and wild rice
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 340g pack Gressingham Duck Breasts
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 lime, juice
• Handful roughly chopped coriander
• ½ mango, cut into matchsticks
• 2 salad onions, cut into matchsticks
• 50g wild rocket leaves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C, gas mark 6. Cook the rice according to pack instructions, then drain and toss with the sesame oil; set aside. Meanwhile, score the skin of the duck breasts in a criss-cross pattern and season. Heat a frying pan over a medium to high heat with no oil. Once hot, place the duck breasts skin-side down in the pan and cook for 5 minutes until the skin becomes golden brown; turn over and seal the fl esh for 1 minute. Pour off the excess fat regularly.

2. Transfer to an ovenproof dish. Brush all over with the hoisin sauce, and put in the oven for 15-18 minutes until the meat is thoroughly cooked and the juices run clear. Remove and rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice the duck.

3. Toss the rice with the lime juice and coriander and divide between 2 shallow bowls. Top with the sliced duck breast, mango, salad onions and rocket, spooning over any roasting juices from the duck.

Harissa duck with orange and coriander couscous

Image: Belazu

This Mediterranean take on duck from Belazu is perfect for a quick and easy dinner party dish.

• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cooking: 5 minutes
• Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 tsp Early Harvest Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt
• 175g Skinless duck mini fillets
• 4 tsp Rose Harissa
• 150g Barley Couscous
• 2 oranges
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves and stalks finely chopped

Method

1. Place the duck mini fillets in a bowl and coat with Rose Harissa paste, set aside.
2. To prepare the couscous cover with 300ml salted boiling water, stir and cover; set aside.
3. Cut the skin off the oranges then cut between each membrane to separate the segments, set them aside. Squeeze the shell into a bowl to collect the remaining juice.
4. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large shallow non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the duck mini fillets for 3-5 minutes, turning halfway. At the end of cooking pour the orange juice into the pan and stir.
5. To complete the couscous, add the orange segments and coriander and fork through.
6. Serve the Harissa duck on top of the couscous, plus juices from the pan.

Duck with prunes, chestnut and sherry

Image: Omar Allibhoy

From chef Omar Allibhoy‘s Spanish Made Simple cookbook, try this recipe when you’ve got a whole duck to cook.

• Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small whole duck (1.5kg), cleaned
• 8 garlic cloves, skin on but crushed
• Handful of peeled chestnuts
• 1 onion, thinkly sliced
• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 12 prunes
• 125ml sweet Pedro Ximénez sherry

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F/gas mark 6. Heat the olive oil in a wide ovenproof pan or casserole dish over a medium heat.
2. Season the duck with salt and pepper and pan-fry on all sides until golden. Help yourself with a pair of tongs. After 10 minutes, remove the duck from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the garlic cloves, chestnuts and onion to the pan and fry for 10 minutes. Add the thyme and prunes and cook for a further 5 minutes. Return the duck to the pan and flambé with the sherry. To do this, slowly tilt the pan towards the flame until the sherry catches, or light with a match. Let the flames flare up then die down and then add 250ml (1cup) water.
4. Put the pan in the oven and cook for 25 minutes, then switch off the heat and leave the duck in the oven for a further 20 minutes without opening the door. This should crisp up the skin and cook the duck to perfection as well as resting the meat.
5. Serve as a centerpiece with some good bread or roasted new potatoes. For a really delicious accompaniment, cook the duck sitting over 600g new potatoes so that the potatoes roast in the sauce and meat juices.

Pulled duck taco

Image: Hellofresh

Why not try duck as an alternative to pulled pork, as in this recipe from Hellofresh?

• Cooking: 40 minutes
• Serves 4

Ingredients

• Vine Tomatoes
• 1 bunch of coriander
• 1 spring onion
• 1/2 a red onion
• 1 baby gem lettuce
• Red wine vinegar
• Chipotle paste
• Mayonnaise
• 2 confit duck leg
• Sweet potato fries

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C. Place the confit duck legs on a baking tray. Pop on the top shelf of your oven and roast until golden and crispy, 25-30 mins.
2. Chop the tomato into small 1cm pieces. Roughly chop the coriander (stalks and all), keeping a few sprigs to one side for garnish. Trim, then thinly slice the spring onion. Halve, peel and slice the red onion as thinly as you can. Trim the root from the baby gem lettuce then halve lengthways. Thinly slice widthways.
3. Pop the sweet potato fries onto a baking tray, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat then roast on the top shelf of the oven until golden and crisp, 18-20 mins. Turn halfway through. Meanwhile, place the red onion into another bowl. Mix in half the red wine vinegar, the sugar for the pickle (see ingredients for amount) and a pinch of salt. Set to one side.
4. Pop the chopped tomato into a large bowl. Mix in the spring onion, chopped coriander, the remaining red wine vinegar and a drizzle of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze in half the chipotle paste (add less if you don’t like heat, this one’s very hot!). Mix to combine and set to one side.
5. Pop the mayonnaise into a small bowl. Mix in the remaining chipotle paste and the water for the dressing (see ingredients for amount). Once ready, remove the duck from the oven and use a fork to pull the meat off the bone. Discard the bone.
6. Place the tortillas into the oven to warm through, 2-3 mins. Share the tortillas between your plates then pile everything on top! We started with the baby gem at the bottom, followed by the duck, the salsa, then the pickled onion! Finally, drizzle the mayo dressing all over the top and garnish with the leftover sprigs of coriander. Serve the sweet potato fries on the side. Dig in!

Are you experimenting with duck in the kitchen? Let us know by tweeting us @goodhomesmag or post a comment on our Facebook page.

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